In the post from earlier today there are pictures of the beginnings of all my little people. Realizing that they are not labeled I need to tell you who each of these sweet things is. From baby to oldest...First there is Bo. He will be celebrating his first birthday Januray 6, 2008...he won't really know what's going on...but we'll be having a party of some sort for him. Next, Sara Joy. She is 18 months old in this picture taken Fall 06 - precious! Then the mold-breaker - the one and only - Riley. He is 9 months old. This was one of the last professional pictures I had made of him until last Fall...he was so difficult...I would leave the photo store with jaws clenched and sweat beading over my top lip. I think that is why I don't have many early infant pictures of Sara Joy. Sydney, is that sweet little thing in the green/pastel plaid dress with flowers and bare feet. Memory not so good...but I think she was around a year old in this shot. Barely a grin on his face, next is James. This was taken when he was 6-9 months old. Both he and Riley in these posted pictures are wearing an outfit made by my sister-in-law, Tami. (She also made a sweet coming home gown for James after he was born, and all my children (aside from Madelyn) have worn it home from the hospital. Finally, my first, Madelyn. She was also between 9-12 months in this photo. I wanted to share baby photos with you since I am posting about our beginnings.
Sara Joy was a little - just barely - over a year old when I found out that I was expecting again. I kept this little tid-bit to myself for several weeks. Oh my...we are going to be like the Brady Bunch...six children...but even so I was thrilled. Children are indeed a blessing - the fruit of the womb, a reward. Brad took the news okay...(I made a comment the other night when some friends were over...one of the guys said to Brad, "Yeah, I haven't heard you saying much about this baby," (not Bo, but this baby, baby #7) I responded that Brad no lika da bebes. I was just kidding, but there was a hint of truth to that. He doesn't have any connection to our children in-utero and really doesn't bond with them until they are several weeks old...the first three months is always so HARD.) That was a long parenthetical statement...hope you were able to follow that. - It's just how my mind thinks...
I love the beach...we have some friends who have a condo in West Pananma City Beach who offered to let Brad and I go for a little R & R WITHOUT KIDS!!! Last August (I was about 4 mos preggo)Brad's Mom and Dad took the kids and we drove like mad to PCB. It was the first time we had been away overnight alone since I was pregnant with Sydney. AHHHHHHH!!! Peace and quiet - tranquility. Memories are flashing and spreading a smile across my face. Brad and I sat on the beach that first day and really connected...it was a little bit of paradise. He made a statement that day that will forever bring joy and thankfulness to my heart and tears to my eyes...Out in the gulf jumping over the waves, he said, "You know...six kids isn't really a lot...now eight that's a lot." This strong and handsome and wonderful man affirmed God's plans for our family and it brought this mother's heart great peace and contentment.
Growing up, I was under the impression that men didn't really love their children - they were a burden - and women who had lots of children were placing a large load on the shoulders of their men. Men did their duty, but it certainly wasn't out of love. That lie has been a hard one to overcome. That lie had colored my view of God for many years. Praise the Lord for His Truth that liberates.
Brad loves me and Brad loves - I mean LOVES - his children. What a blessing!
Brad got burned that first day at the beach...it was my fault...really...I didn't rub in the spray on sunscreen...Our time together was still memorable!
Bo - Robert Bradley - was born Januray 6, 2007...He was like a freight-train. For real...You think I am kidding...(I am chuckling at Carrie's statement about the blow-torch...what we woman go through - and by choice, mind you!) Whew! Natural delivery is my preference and obviously there is much pain involved, but he took the cake. The memories of his delivery haunted me for several weeks. Even now as I think about it I am getting nervous of the labor and delivery I have to go through with this sweet little girl.
Telling the whole story of how this latest pregnancy came about could be a bit emabarrassing so I will spare you that...some have heard and it gets a hardy laugh...I got pregnant around the first week of June 2007...the line was faint, but again...there it was. This time we literally didn't tell anyone (Okay, I did tell Carrie...) about this baby until I was busting at the seams. We just let people figure it out...
I can't tell you how many comments we get..."Do you know what causes that?" "No, really I don't - what - what causes that?" "Are you going to have more?" "Well... let me see when my husband and I figure that out we'll call you." "I didn't know you converted to Catholism." "Okay, I have no good come back for that one." "Trying to fill up that van aren't you?" (We bought a 15 passenger van in April of 2005 and LOVE IT!!!) "Yes, what a plausible reason to bring life into this world." No one means any harm by the comments they make...I know that, but it still gets old.
Push comes to shove...in the end...God is Sovereign over ALL things - even the womb. That's a hard one to grasp - not sure I have really grasped it yet. At this point I am asking, "Please Lord...please let this be the last one...but You know better than I." Why would I deny Him blessing me. I recently read (I think I read it at a quiverfull web-site.)...something to the effect...Children - the Bible calls them a blessing, yet we (our culture) run from it...Debt - the Bible calls it a curse, yet we (our culture) sign up for it. Profound...really...when you stop to ponder it...Children are a blessing.
So for now we are all squeezed into the 3bd/2ba "shoe" anticipating the arrival of this most recent blessing. It's the life God has called us to and for the most part we love it...
That's a little bit of how this shoe came to be so full - its' taken several days of posting to get it all out, but at last how we began has come to an end...thanks for letting me share with you...now that I have you all caught up I can post a little more in depth about the daily going's on in and around our "shoe," and just how this "old woman" manages.
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